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Show AREAS OF PUBLIC DOMAIN IN THE 11 WESTERN STATES AND THEIR RELATIONSHIP TO TOTAL LAND AREA AND TOTAL WATER YIELD Total area, State in acres Arizona 72,901,760 California 101,563,520 Colorado 66,718,080 Idaho 53,476,480 Montana 94,168,320 Nevada 70,745,600 New Mexico 77,866,240 Oregon 62,067,840 Utah 54,346,240 Washington 43,642,880 Wyoming 62,664,960 Total 760,161,920 Public domain, in acres Relationship of public domain to all other lands, in per cent Water yield from public lands in per cent of total water yield 32,150,921 42,120,029 23,053,841 33,246,237 25,194,324 60,812,215 25,026,617 28,588,205 34,673,599 11,088,769 29,265,905 345,220,662 44.1 41.5 37.6 62.2 26.8 86.0 32.1 46.1 63.8 25.4 46.7 45.7 61 65 98 76 67 88 52 49 89 51 74 61 For the first time the determination of amounts and efficiency of the water consumed under programs now in effect on the Federal Public Domain are shown in the present study. Present programs of watershed management of the Public Domain is domi- nantly land management with soil, fodder and timber products the major goals. Upstream management of water resources is basically topographic and geologic, yet suitable maps are not available to show the characteristics of surficial deposits nor of the hard rock formations. The interrelation of these two as it affects runoff and downward percolation of precipitation on various catchment areas has not been portrayed in adequate form for headwaters management. The geologic mapping and research required for the effective development of ground- water resources throughout the country is more retarded than any phase of our mapping and basic data programs. The factual data and suitable maps are not available for programs of effective utilization of this great resource and this has retarded the development of the technique of effective management of ground- water resources. Policies of Watershed Management by the several Federal agencies have developed on the basis of only fragments of the research that will be required to make the program appropriate. Statistical data assembled in this study show a very low physical and economic productivity of the water used for the fodder and timber produced especially on the more arid parts of the Public Domain. 62 |